Thursday, 15 March 2007

I've done quite a bit of research into this so far and what seems to be case is that people have totally different opinions as to what have abstract photography is (all art is very opinionated) what I have been starting to do is to look at abstract art. Its definition is relatively simple. Abstract art is an art form which departs from natural appearances. Taking it to the extremes abstract art can be non-objective however as I've said before a photo can never be totally non-objective. Obviously as photographers we rely on what we see around us. I've always considered an abstract photo to be one that is unrecognizable. One of the ways to create an unrecognizable photo is to use macro and capture tiny details, detail you wouldn't necessarily recognize with the naked eye. However, thinking about it, is this really abstract. Capturing close up detailed, isn't the way of attempting to alter reality, because the camera is accurately capturing what we see. However, if you start to alter colours or for example use black and white you are actively altering what we see. Let's think about black and white. Black-and-white is non-representational of how we see the world and you could therefore argue that any black-and-white photo is abstract somewhat. However I don't want to take black-and-white photos thaI've done quite a bit of research into this so far and what seems to be case is that people have totally different opinions as to what abstract photography is (all art is very opinionated)

What I have been starting to do is to look at abstract art. Its definition is relatively simple. Abstract art is an art form which departs from natural appearances. Taking it to the extremes abstract art can be non-objective, however as I've said before a photo can never be totally non-objective. Obviously as photographers we rely on what we see around us.

I've always considered an abstract photo to be one that is unrecognizable. One of the ways to create an unrecognizable photo is to use macro and capture tiny details, detail you wouldn't necessarily recognize with the naked eye. However, thinking about it, is this really abstract. Capturing close up detailed, isn't the way of attempting to alter reality, because the camera is accurately capturing what we see. However, if you start to alter colours or for example use black and white you are actively altering what we see.

Let's think about black and white. Black-and-white is non-representational of how we see the world and you could therefore argue that any black-and-white photo is abstract somewhat. However I don't want to take black-and-white photos that are totally recognizable and argue that they are abstract, I want to do something a little more interesting than that. A black-and-white photo doesn't totally depart from naturally appearances because really for something to totally depart from natural appearances it must be unrecognizable and therefore the natural appearance of it must have been altered.

To physically alter an objects natural appearance in photography we must use techniques like blurring, which is moving away from exact representation. I would therefore also argue that Photoshop editing is a valid way of creating something that is abstract. Some people seem to really hate Photoshop, they feel that with Photoshop you can cheat, and create images quickly than would otherwise be quite technically difficult to do using only a camera. They feel that it's taking away the skill element. I can kind of see where they're coming from, but it's not always a simple click of a button on Photoshop. Layering up photos can become quite technically difficult in Photoshop. Depending on what you do, there is quite a bit of skill in using Photoshop well. For me Photoshop is brilliant and I really don't know where I'd be without it. I'm quite limited in a way I can photograph things, being quite weak physically in the upper body and particular my arms, due to having Muscular Dystrophy.

There are certain techniques in photography which I simply wouldn’t be able to do myself without help. Moving the camera to create a radial blur by moving the camera in circular motions would be impossible from me, but there is always a radial blur option in photo shop. Altering a photograph in photo shop in my view is most certainly a valid way of creating a non-representational and therefore abstract photo.

4 comments:

Thanks for the link to my ramblings - I'll carry on our discussion when I get a moment, I'm rather enjoying them.

When you talk about exact representation I was reminded of David Baileys comment that it is easier for painters than photographers because a photographer is limited to what is actually there where a painter can imagine things.

Now photoshop allows us to go beyond the captured image, quite easily. At what point we move from a "photograph" to an "image" is often the subject of great debate.

Viewers seem to have an expectation of "truth" from a photograph which they don't from a painting..but truth, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

I hadn't realised about your MD before now...but from an imaging point what your work does not seem to be held back by it (I can only see the final images not how difficult or easy they are to produce). So I won't be making "allowances" for your disability when I comment ...because I don't think I need to for someone who is already producing work of a high quality.

A couple of small points:Could we have some paragraph breaks as a big block of text is difficult to read on screen.

I am subscribed to your blog and its difficult to spot the new posts if they all have the same title "...".

No I don't expect any allowances; I was just purely talking about the processes I use. Ok yeah paragraph breaks would help, thanks for pointing it out. Ok post titles would also help. Interesting point about the photo/image debate. Expectation of truth, hmmm yes truth can merely be any illusion. Timothy o'sullivan capturing the aftermath of American civil war. Apparently there were rumours of him moving the bodies for the photos.

Hi, my name is Crystal. Erm... I'm doing a project of natural abstract for my Photography assignment in school. I read what you have written about abstract photography and I think it's a really good work which gave me some really great inspiration for my work. Thank you!! ^^